Katharina Buczek
TikTok has become the go-to platform for sharing parenting tips, tricks, and struggles. But, after one mom named Brooke opened up about her son’s medical condition and treatment on the app, an influx of trolling and hate followed.
Brooke’s six-month-old son Kingsley was diagnosed with Sturge-Weber syndrome– a rare vascular disorder that causes abnormal blood vessels in the brain, eye abnormalities including glaucoma, and port-wine stain birthmarks.
Kingsley currently has glaucoma in one eye, as well as a birthmark across the right side of his face. And while navigating her son’s medical journey, Brooke chose to begin laser removal treatment for the birthmark.
However, the TikTok community was quick to degrade her decision. She began receiving enormous amounts of hate comments and DMs calling her “cruel” and a “child abuser.”
Many believed that Brooke decided to seek out the treatment in order to change her son’s appearance.
But, what most of her followers did not understand is that port-wine stains– if left alone– can actually cause Kingsley to experience more health problems over time.
“Port-wine stains do not fade; they do not dissipate. They darken over time. They can progress and become lumpy and cause more health issues,” the mom began in one TikTok video.
“The younger they [kids] are, the better it is to start the laser treatments because it [the port-wine stain] is fresh on their skin and less stubborn. They would need more sessions in the future if you were to start it later,” Brooke continued.
TikTok; pictured above is Brooke in one of her videos, along with Kingsley
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
